Naruto: With Favorabiltity System

Chapter 262: The Challenge Is Issued, The Battle Begins!

"Haneda-aniki! Are you finally going to spread the glorious art of destruction? Hmm!"

From the upper floors, Deidara leapt down from a window, landing in front of Haneda with excitement written all over his face.

"Take me with you, Haneda-aniki! I'm dying to witness your artistic fireworks again! Hmm!"

Itachi, standing to the side, calmly remarked, "War is no game, and there's no art in it."

Deidara scoffed at the familiar monotone voice. "Tch, it's you again, Mr. Stone Face!"

In response, Itachi silently activated his Sharingan, casting a simple genjutsu. Deidara immediately froze in place, unable to move.

"This is just a basic illusion. He'll recover shortly," Itachi said, turning back to Haneda.

"Shall we leave now, or do you want to bring additional ANBU?"

Haneda glanced at Deidara's pitiful yet hopeful expression, chuckling slightly. "Bringing little Deidara along will be enough."

With a wave of his hand, Haneda dispelled Itachi's genjutsu. Deidara threw his arms up in glee. "Oh yeah! I get to witness Haneda-aniki's art in action again! Hmm!"

Before Deidara could react further, Haneda placed a hand on his shoulder, and in the blink of an eye, teleported them to the battlefront in the Land of Frost.

Jiraiya, stationed at the battlefield, rubbed his eyes at the sudden appearance of the three figures, thinking he might be hallucinating.

"Just like Minato... flashing in and out as you please," Jiraiya muttered under his breath, shaking his head with a wry smile.

Shisui, noticing Haneda's arrival, immediately understood what it meant.

"Hokage-sama, are you planning to take matters into your own hands?"

Haneda nodded slightly. "I intend to end this war within three days."

"As soon as Shikaku finishes drafting the challenge letter, send it to Kumogakure."

"Tell them to prepare a feast and welcome their new ruler."

Jiraiya couldn't help but laugh. "Three days? You make it sound easy, but Kumogakure isn't so simple to deal with. They still have at least 10,000 ninja."

"With the strongest Raikage in their history and two perfect jinchūriki, forcing them into submission will take more than a few days."

"Those three aren't pushovers like old Onoki."

Having clashed with the Fourth Raikage multiple times, Jiraiya knew how formidable the man was. His Lightning Chakra Mode made him incredibly fast, a nightmare to counter in battle.

If not for Shisui's Susano'o, Jiraiya would've been forced to enter Sage Mode just to keep up with him.

Haneda, however, smiled confidently. "Then watch carefully and see for yourself. It's time the shinobi world recognized my peak power."

Soon enough, the challenge letter prepared by Shikaku arrived via Kakashi.

Haneda didn't even hesitate, immediately assigning a ROOT operative to deliver the provocative letter to Kumogakure.

With the Fourth Raikage's temperament, delivering such a message was no different from a death sentence for the messenger.

...…

That night, at Kumogakure's main encampment.

The Fourth Raikage was buried in paperwork when Killer Bee swaggered in, rapping and dancing as usual.

"Big bro, a shinobi from Konoha's here with a challenge letter, yo! Hachibi-yo! Rap flow!"

Hearing the words "challenge letter" and "Konoha shinobi," the Fourth Raikage's brow furrowed.

"Don't tell me it's that Uchiha Haneda brat," he muttered.

"No idea, bro," Killer Bee replied with a shrug.

Shaking his head at his brother's carefree attitude, the Raikage ordered, "Bring him in."

The guards quickly escorted the ROOT operative into the Raikage's tent.

The operative silently handed over the challenge letter, then, without warning, drew a kunai and lunged at one of the guards, striking him down.

"Protect the Raikage-sama!"

"There's no need." The Fourth Raikage intercepted the assassin effortlessly, shattering the operative's mask with a single punch before grabbing him by the throat.

"Uchiha Haneda sent you, didn't he?"

The ROOT operative, unfazed by the Raikage's overwhelming aura, responded emotionlessly, "Hokage-sama knew you'd kill me after reading the letter. So, why not let me strike first?"

With a scoff, the Raikage slammed the assassin into the ground. "Take him away and interrogate him."

As the guards dragged the operative out, Killer Bee, observing the scene, rapped again:

"Yo, yo, seems it's not ANBU but ROOT this time, oh! Hachibi flow, you already know!"

Before Bee could finish his rhyme, a sudden explosion erupted outside the tent.

The guards and the assassin were reduced to bloody remnants, painting the tent's entrance a gruesome red.

The Fourth Raikage's fists slammed into his desk in fury, shattering it instantly.

"Uchiha Haneda, you've gone too far!"

Storming outside, he approached the remains of his fallen guards and picked up the challenge letter.

It wasn't lengthy—just a few lines, dripping with sheer arrogance and provocation.

The final words burned into his mind:

Surrender, or prepare your own ropes for captivity.

The Raikage crushed the letter into pieces, his rage boiling over.

"How dare he! Does he think Kumogakure is as weak and cowardly as Iwagakure?"

Turning to Killer Bee, he barked, "Bee! Go back to the village and bring Yugito. We'll settle this with Konoha in two days!"

"I want to see what makes Uchiha Haneda so audacious!"

For once, Bee didn't rap. He nodded solemnly. "Got it, big bro."

...…

Two days later.

At the Hokey Mountain Range, the ninja armies of Konoha and Kumogakure faced off.

This location had been the decisive battleground during the Third Great Ninja War, where Konoha and Kumogakure fought fiercely.

It was also the site where Haneda had captured Killer Bee for the second time.

The night the challenge letter was delivered, Konoha declared to the entire shinobi world that the Fifth Hokage, the new God of Shinobi, Uchiha Haneda, would personally lead the charge against Kumogakure.

Haneda even announced, in front of a massive audience, that he would end the war in three days.

As expected, the final showdown was now upon them.

Enraged by Haneda's brazen actions, the Fourth Raikage had mobilized 70% of Kumogakure's forces.

To the north of the Hokey Mountain Range, over 10,000 Kumogakure ninja stood ready, awaiting the Raikage's orders.

To the south, only 3,000 Konoha shinobi prepared to face them.

From a purely numerical standpoint, the odds overwhelmingly favored Kumogakure.

But with Uchiha Haneda on Konoha's side, the outcome was anything but certain.

In the Raikage's tent, a scout reported, "Raikage-sama, the Konoha forces across the mountains number only about 3,000!"

"Three thousand?" The Raikage sneered. "That brat Haneda is as arrogant as ever."

But some of the senior Kumogakure shinobi looked uneasy.

"Raikage-sama, don't forget: Haneda once singlehandedly killed the Third Tsuchikage in front of tens of thousands of Iwagakure ninja," one said.

Another added, "Exactly. Haneda's known as the God of Shinobi now."

Seeing the growing apprehension among his ranks, the Raikage slammed his fist into the table, his voice booming with confidence:

"Enough! I don't understand why everyone keeps going on about this 'God of Shinobi' nonsense."

"So what if he killed Onoki? That old man was past his prime."

"This battlefield isn't cursed. Our forces outnumber theirs by more than three to one. We have the advantage!"

Encouraged by the Raikage's words, the Kumogakure forces grew more determined.

No matter how strong Uchiha Haneda was, they had the numbers.

Kumogakure couldn't lose!

...…